Drawing the Lines
by Michael Weyer
Summary: SPOILERS for New Avengers 31. Between their shocking discovery and WWH, the New Avengers get a visitor that makes them realize how bad things are getting.


Drawing the Lines

By Michael Weyer

SPOILERS for "New Avengers" #31 if you haven't read it. Another short one that hit me, all comments welcomed. I don't own any of them so don't sue.

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"Be it ever so…well, not humble," Spider-Man announced as the New Avengers found themselves back in the Sanctum Sanctorum. "I have to say, Doc, for a guy not known for opening your home up to others, you do go out of your way to make this pretty fancy schmancy."

"Gotta agree with Webhead," Wolverine said. "You seem to enjoy decorating this place a lot, Doc."

"I suppose it's a leftover of my formerly high-living lifestyle," Strange replied. "Can't seem to throw anything away." The group made their way into the main room, Echo rubbing her arms, obviously thrown by her experiences in the last forty-eight hours.

Clint Barton gasped as he pulled the black Ronin mask off his head. "Damn, Pete, how do you put up with this thing completely over your head?"

"I wasn't exactly thinking of comfort when I first designed it," Spider-Man replied. "But, hey, kept my face more quiet than most for a while longer. Does a great job muffling the voice, too." He smirked as he removed his own mask. "And I hardly think you're one to talk on past costume choices, Hawkeye."

Barton rolled his eyes. "They never let up on that toga and headband outfit…"

"Still glad I never went for that mask shit," Luke said.

"Hey," Jessica Jones said as she came up to the group. "How'd it go?"

"Oh, not too bad," her husband replied. "Fought every stinking ninja in Japan, messed up my shirts, found out we're in even deeper crap than normal and watched the new girl here stab Elektra only to see her turn into a Skrull."

"And the wild part?" Spider-Man piped up. "That's almost downright normal by my standards."

Spider-Woman glanced at him. "That's normal?"

"Well, last week, I was fighting this woman who was literally made up of spiders trying to sacrifice me to give rise to her brood."

Barton looked at him. "I'd ask if you were kidding but I was recently dead so I'm open to what you say."

Jessica was shaking her head. "Wait a minute…Elektra was a Skrull? What does that mean?"

"That Matt Murdock's gonna have a coronary?" Spider-Man asked.

"It means something bigger's going down than we figured," Luke said.

"Aliens," Clint sighed. "Damn, I hate doing alien crap. It always ends ugly."

"Master." The heroes turned to see Wong standing in the doorway to the main study. "Master, you have a visitor."

Strange frowned. "A…visitor? I was not expecting anyone."

Wong swallowed. "He…was most insistent, Master."

"How did he get in?"

A booming and authoritive voice echoed behind Wong. "I can sense the motion of the waves for leagues, Strange. Do you think I would not tell the difference your magics brings to this place?"

Wong felt himself pushed aside as Prince Namor entered the room. He was dressed in his dark blue battle armor, open at the middle to reveal his firm and toned chest. His face was tight as he glared at Strange. "I am not one who likes to wait, Strange. You know this."

"Perhaps had I known you were coming, I might have been better prepared," Strange calmly said.

Namor glanced around, taking in the surprised costumed figures behind Strange. "By Neptune, Strange, tell me you haven't assembled another Defenders."

"We're Avengers," Luke said in a resolute tone."

An arched eyebrow was raised. "Avengers? Three street-level vigilantes, a former HYDRA agent, Strange and…" He stopped, his eyes narrowing as surprise took his features. "Barton? Is that you?"

"Hey, Namor," Barton said with a nod. "Still rocking the Spock look, I see."

Namor rolled his eyes. "It is you. I had assumed you dead."

"For the fourth time by my count. One more and I can get commemorative rings made."

"Dammit, I'm the comic relief here!"

Ignoring Spider-Man, Strange addressed the Sub-Mariner. "Namor, what brings you here?"

"I was just paid a visit from Doom."

"Doom?" Strange frowned. "In Atlantis?"

"Via hologram," Namor confirmed. "Evidentially, he felt it beneath him to address me in person."

"Probably worried about rust," Spider-Man said. "It's a major problem for him. So what'd Number Six's favorite uncle want?"

Namor glanced to Strange. "The Hulk is coming back."

Strange's face went pale and he actually took a step back. "By the Vishanti…"

The others were startled but confused. "Back?" Iron Fist asked. "Back from where?"

Namor studied him. "You…do not know." He glanced to Strange and a smirk appeared on his lips. "Still playing it close to the vest, eh, Stephen? Very well, I shall illuminate you."

"Namor…"

"No, Strange, I will not be silent!" he barked. "I was silent before and look where that led us! You decided to put him in space and I warned you he would be back. You wouldn't listen…and now you shall pay the price."

"Okay, rewind," Luke said. "What are you talking about?"

Namor turned to face them. "Several years ago, shortly after the Kree-Skrull War, Stark assembled a group with myself, Strange, Charles Xavier, Reed Richards and Black Bolt. The goal, as Stark put it, was to share notes and do our best to…regulate the lives of meta-humans."

A long silence went up. "When you say…regulate…" Spider-Woman began. "What does that mean?"

"To take care of certain problems before they became crises," Namor answered. "To make sure groups like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four were able to do their jobs without government interference." He glared at Strange. "Of course, some of our efforts met with failure…Not to mention Stark began to take more and more control, as he is wont to do."

"Hold up," Barton said. "You're saying Tony just started going around deciding this crap? Come on, no way Cap would let him do it."

"And what makes you think Rogers knew? What makes you think Reed told his teammates or his wife? Or Xavier his students? Myself…well, I had no one to tell but they made the decision to keep this to themselves."

Everyone stared in shock at Strange. "This for real?" Cage demanded.

Strange let out a long breath. "It's a bit more complicated than that. We were attempting to form a…a nucleus group that could help us all and-----"

"You were playing God, Strange," Namor interrupted. "Let's not mince words, it's what we were all doing. I am a king, I am used to such actions. But all of you decided that you, and only you, had the right to make decisions that would effect this planet. T'Challa refused to join us. He warned us this would lead to disaster and I should have listened to him."

"What's this got to do with the Hulk?" Cage asked.

Strange ran a hand through his hair. "He was getting more out of control, causing more destruction. It would be only a matter of time before he caused a massive death toll. So…we decided…"

"_You _decided," Namor interrupted. "I was against it."

Strange continued. "We…tricked him into boarding a satellite and then…programmed it to launch into deepest space. Reed had it programmed to land on a distant, uninhabited planet so Bruce could finally be all alone just as he always wanted."

The shocked faces grew even larger. "You…blasted him into space?!" Spider-Woman yelled. "Without…you…after all this, you just threw him into the darkest reaches of the universe?"

"I can't believe this!" Spider-Man yelled. "He didn't ask to be the Hulk, Doc, you know that! It was a curse and he's tried his best. Hell, he's even helped save the planet a few times but you just decided to dump him off?"

"We were trying to make him happy!" Strange snapped.

"And you failed spectacularly," Namor replied. "I saw the data Doom gave me, Strange. I don't know where you planned on sending him but wherever it was, it was not uninhabited. He's coming back and inside a spaceship roughly the size of the Great Barrier Reef. And he's not alone either. He has allies roughly as strong as he is."

"Oh, dear God," Spider-Woman whispered but Barton shook his head in denial. "Hey, Namor, this is Doom we're talking about. You believe what he said?"

Namor narrowed his eyes. "I am not a fool, Barton. I had my doubts. But I have known Doom a long time. He may be prone to deceit but not outright lying. There is no reason he would have to fake this. Besides…I knew this would happen." He looked to Strange. "I told you, Stephen. I told you he would come back and kill you all. And now he's going to take Neptune knows how many with him."

Wolverine snarled as he came up to Strange. "You went along with this?"

"At the time…it was the right course of action," Strange defended himself. "We decided…"

"Yeah, you decided," Wolverine snapped. "Strange…all the hell I have been through in my life came because of folks deciding to do whatever they felt like. It got me these," his claws popped out. "And now it's gonna get us even worse."

Namor seemed amused. "I'm surprised, Logan. I was under the impression you and Banner never got along."

"Yeah, we've tussled," Wolverine told him. "But I got to respect and like the guy a long time ago. He's like me, a normal joe thrown into something he never wanted. And it makes me wonder, if he could get dumped into space like that…what about any of us?"

Strange at least had the sense to look ashamed as Namor just smiled.

"What the hell do we do?" Spider-Man asked.

"My opinion?" Namor shrugged. "I would put as much distance between yourself and Strange as possible. The Hulk has had a long time to allow his rage to build and he will not stop until it is satisfied. He is no longer a man but a beast…So perhaps it is time to treat him as such."

Strange shook his head. "I will not kill him."

"You may not have a choice…but that is your problem. I came here to warn you, Strange. Call it…old time's sake as the surface world expression goes. I have done so." He turned and headed to the doorway.

"Namor, wait!" Strange called out. "What will you do?"

"What I always have done, Strange," the Sub-Mariner called over his shoulder. "I will protect my city and my people first."

"Oh and let the Hulk smash us to pieces?" Cage exclaimed. "Thanks a lot, fish-head!"

Namor stopped and glared at them. "You brought this on yourselves. Stark most of all. The Hulk's retribution is just and shall be swift and terrible and frankly I do not wish to be around when it occurs."

"It's your planet too, Namor," Spider-Woman said. "And you were a member of this group. He'll want you too."

Namor scoffed. "I control seventy percent of this planet, woman. And powerful as he is, even the Hulk cannot live underwater indefinitely. I believe he will be sated by the razing of your lands."

"And you step on in and pick up the pieces," Barton said. "I don't get it, Namor, what the hell is this obsession with conquering the surface world? What are you going to do with it? It's all air, genius!"

Namor's lips curled upward. "This was our world before your ancestors crawled out of their caves. It will be our world once you have wiped each other out. We have always known this. And if the Hulk speeds it up…so be it. Farewell, Strange. I doubt we shall meet again."

A long silence went up as the Sub-Mariner exited. Everyone looked at Strange as if they'd never seen him before. Even Echo, still rattled and only following some of the conversation, was thrown by what she'd "heard."

"Well," Spider-Man finally said. "I think Tony's going to have be giving up that "Man of the Year' title soon."

"What do we do?" Jessica whispered, stroking her infant.

"I don't know," Luke admitted. "I just don't know."

"There is…still a chance," Strange said quietly. "Perhaps, I can…"

"Doc," Wolverine interrupted. "No offense since you're the one housing us…but we're really not in the mood to hear from you right now, bub." Strange opened his mouth but then shut it.

"Blasting the Hulk into space, the Registration Act, the Civil War, Cap…" Barton shook his head. "Man, I knew Tony could be conniving but this is way too much."

"I agree," Peter said. "I knew the guy, he was a good teacher, an inspiration. But then he starts pulling moves like this almost…" He stopped suddenly, his face going pale. "Almost…like…he wasn't himself."

Every one of the Avengers stared at each other remembering the alien corpse in Elektra's clothes. "You…you don't think…" Spider-Woman whispered, not wanting to say it.

"How would we know?" Iron Fist asked. "They are shape-changers."

"Yeah but…there'd have to be differences, right?"

"Should be," Wolverine said. "But until Echo stabbed her, I'd have staked my life that was the real Elektra we were fighting. Smell, sound, heartbeat, everything was perfect."

Spider-Man rubbed his head. "Oh man, if there really are Skrulls out there impersonating heroes…"

"What?" Barton asked.

"Well, how come one of them can't pose as me and give me a break from my life?!"

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**The end…for now….**


End file.
